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AIDS report card gives
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Reducing holiday
financial stress Page 12
The Carolinas’ Most Comprehensive Gay & Lesbian Newspaper
Published Every Two Weeks On Recycled Paper « Volume 12, Number 15 » December 13, 1997 • FREE
SC Pride hits wave of opposition
Leaders battle
over gays again
by Dan Van Mourik
Q-Notes Staff
CHARLOTTE—^The tone-of the Decem
ber 3 Mecklenburg County Commission meet
ing was anything but hostile or antagonistic.
Everything seemed business as ususual. How
ever, the first order of business sent a shockwave
through the gay community.
Commissioners ousted Parks Helms from
his chairmans post after fellow democrat Hoyle
Martin sided against him because Martin said
Helms showed support for a gay political can
didate. Despite a Democratic majority, Repub
lican Tom Bush was voted in as chairman for
the coming year. His Vice-Chair will be none
other than Hoyle Martin himself
Bush and Martin, along with Bill James, Joel
Carter and George Higgins, comprise the
“Gang of Five” which led the April 1 defunding
of the Arts and Science CouncU over objections
to plays that poraay gay characters. Since then,
Martin has turned his opposition to homosexu
ality into an on-going debate about commu
nity morality.
While the tone of the meeting may have
been somber, the reaction was not. The change
illicited anger from leaders in both the black
and gay communities while it garnered enthu
siastic support among Christian conservatives
—who agree with Martiii’s views." - ^
While Helms will continue to serve as a com
missioner, many in the gay community see this
change as another step in a methodical process
to redirect the viewpoint of the commission to
one of conservatism.
Everyone knew that trouble was brewing
when Martin wrote a scathing letter to Helms
and sent copies to the media. Martin accused
Helms of trying to manipulate next year’s elec
tion so that Martin would lose his district seat.
Martin, who is black, accused Helms of racist
tactics to split the county’s black vote.
“This is so clearly an attempt to exploit —
County Commissioner Hoyle Martin
split the black vote — and thus possibly elimi
nate African American candidates,” Martin
wrote. “There are some potentially good can
didates — black, white and Hispanic — that
you, with the probable help of the corporate
bullies, have discouraged with your hand
picked gay, rich golden boy.”
The “gay, rich golden boy” Martin refers to
is Charlotte businessman Andrew Reyes.
Openly gay Reyes is running for a commission
seat in next year’s election.
Helms said he offered Reyes the same sup
port he’d offer any aspiring candidate, but did
not issue an endorsement. “I make no apolo
gies for that. He is an articulate, thoughtful,
committed person who represents the Hispanic
community,” Helms said. “I did not ask him
about his sexuality; it -was not relevant to me.”
Reyes held a press conference on Thursday,
December 4 to rebut some of the comments
about him in Martin’s letter. “I would have pre
ferred that Mr. Martin face me man-to-man
on these charges, but since Mr. Martin put his
remarks in writing and made them public, I
am looking at my legal recourse,” Reyes said.
“Mr. Martin states that I am running only
for the gay community, but he is wrong! My
communit}' is not that narrow. Unlike Mr.
Martin and the Gang of Five, my community
encompasses the entire County of
See LEADERS on page 21
New mayor faces his
first “fairness” test
by Dan Van Mourik
Q-Notes Staff
MYRTLE BEACH—In a November may-
oral run-oflf election, former city councilman
Mark McBride defeated long-time Mayor Bob
Grissom, who campaigned in local gay bars, by
42 votes. McBride, who has drawn criticism
for opposing gay bars in the downtown and
Pavilion business district, said he plans to work
with all groups toward sculpting the future
image of Myrtle Beach. One-time opponent,
gay activist Sharon Brown (a black transsexual
who lost a close race for a City Council seat),
said she hopes McBride will work to ensure
equal rights for gays in employment and hous-
ing._
“I will work for everybody, not for special
interests,” McBride said moments after hear
ing the election results. “I will treat [Brown]
feirly like I will treat everybody fairly.”
The first test of the new mayor’s “fairness”
policy is at hand.
The SC Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement
(GLPM) has selected Myrde Beach for the 1998
pride march and festival April 30 to May 3 be
cause the Grand Strand is a “hot spot.”
“We’re not just coming down here to pro
test and talk politics,” said Tony Snell, co-chair
man of the GLPM. “We’re going to do some of
that, but this is also a festival.”
But two restaurants that agreed to hold
events as part of the march and rally backped-
aled after getting complaints from Myrde Beach
developer Burroughs & Chapin, the company
which holds the leases for both establishments.
“We have nothing against these people as
individuals,” Burroughs & Chapin spokes
woman Nancy Reynolds said. “But this is a fam
ily-oriented environment, and we do not be
Issue 3 goes to full appeals court
by Peg Byron
Special to Q-Notes
CINCINNATI, OH—The legal war over
the nation’s last anti-gay ballot initiative will
continue according to representatives of
Lambda Legal'Defense and Education Fund.
The organization has filed a petition with its
co-counsel for a hearing by the full federal ap
peals court whose three-judge panel last month
upheld Cincinnati’s Issue 3.
“Cincinnati has to play by the same consti
tutional rules as Colorado. Issue 3 is cut from
the same despicable cloth as Colorado’s Amend
ment 2,” said Patricia M. Logue, managing at
torney for Lambda’s Midwest Regional Office
in Chicago. “The panel decision cannot be rec
onciled with the Supreme Court’s decision strik
ing down Amendment 2 and we believe the
full court will see that.”
Just as Amendment 2 sought to do through
out Colorado, Issue 3 would bar Cincinnati
legislators from ever passing legislation to pro
hibit discrimination against gays and lesbians.
Last year, the US Supreme Court struck down
Amendment 2, ruling in Romer v. Evans that it
violated the Constitution’s equal protection re
quirements by singling out gays, lesbians and
bisexuals for discriminatory treatment.
Issue 3, an amendment to Cincinnati’s char
ter, was struck down by a federal district court
shortly after being passed by city voters in No
vember 1993. The US Court of Appeals for
the Sixth Circuit, in a 1995 ruling, reversed
the lower court opinion, but the Supreme Court
ordered the appeals court to reconsider the case
in light of the ruling in the Colorado case.
However, a three-judge panel for the Court
of Appeals ruled October 23 that, since Issue 3
was a city-wide measure, the Supreme Court’s
ruling on a state measure did not apply, even
though the text of each amendment was virtu
ally identical.
“Cities, just like states, must follow the Con
stitution,” said Suzanne B. Goldberg, a New
York-based Lambda staff attorney who worked
with Logue on the appeal. “The panel decision
upholding Issue 3 conflicts squarely with the
Supreme Court’s decision in Romer" she said.
“Just like Amendment 2, Issue 3 deprives only
gay citizens of the right to seek protection from
harm.”
Lambda Legal Director Beatrice Dohrn
added, “Issue 3 is a carbo'n copy of Amend
ment 2 and thus every bit as unconstitutional.
The Sixth Circuit panel sphts insignificant hairs
in an effort to avoid the Supreme Court in
Romer. Issue 3, like Amendment 2, is uncon
stitutional. Lambda and the ACLU were co
counsel in the challenge to the Colorado
amendment.
Calling the panel’s decision “out of step with
legal and social realities throughout the coun
try,” Dohrn said, “Every single anti-gay voter
initiative of recent years has been rejected by
courts or voters across the country — from
Maine to Florida to Oregon and Idaho.” ▼
lieve that bringing in that type of activity is in
keeping with our wholesome family goals.”
All Star Cafe had said it would be the offi
cial registration location for those taking part
in the event. The restaurant has stalled its par
ticipation, the Charleston Post and Courier re
ported.
Hard Rock Cafe had agreed to hold a silent
auction for the group. But manager Brad Dean
said the Gay Pride group may have publicized
Hard Rock’s commitment prematurely. He de
nied reports that he was pressured to back out
by Burroughs & Chapin.
“It was a request, not a mandate, that they
rethink their involvement,” Reynolds said re
garding the company’s phone cdls to the head
quarters of the two restaurants.
Pride ’98 is expeaed to draw 15,000 people.
The ninth annual gathering will include a pic
nic, social and sporting, events, a one-mile
march through the Pavilion area and a rally.
The election of McBride came after the site
selection. But festival organizers had considered
his remarks last spring that a gay bar was not
welcome near Ocean Boulevard.
“I’m willing to sit down and talk with any
one,” McBride said. “But I don’t think it’s any
secret how I feel about their lifestyle.”
Snell said GLPM might make an impact on
his thinking. “We consider ourselves a group
that enlightens and educates,” Snell said. “We’re
here. We’re significant, and we’re going to stand
tall and demand the respect we deserve.”
Burroughs & Chapin could face a boycott
if it does not soften its opposition to the festi
val, organizers said. Burroughs & Chapin Co.
Inc., the biggest developer east of the Intrac
oastal Waterway, sponsors events for bikers,
welcomes rowdy golfers and built its own shop
ping and nightclub district at Broadway at the
Beach. But the company has drawn the line at
See PRIDE on page 4
NC AIDS drug program is broke
by David Stout
Q-Notes Staff
RALEIGH—Although emergency funds are
currently keeping the program afloat. North
Carolina’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program
(ADAP) has officially been depleted since Sep
tember. As a result, no new enrollments are
being accepted and those who are still receiv
ing subsidies are only assured of assistance
through early next year.
ADAP, known in North Carolina as the HIV
Medications Program, was established in 1987
to provide vital medicines
to poor people with HIV
who meet set eligibility re
quirements but do not
qualify for Medicaid. The
program is funded with
federal and state money
and managed by the NC
Department of Health
and Human Services. The
federal government will
not issue its next block
grant until April 1 and the
state will not give its allo
cation until July 1. If ad
ditional funds are not secured for ADAP soon,
a public health crisis is looming.
On October 28, Daniel Reimer, chair of the
AIDS Advisory Council, a citizens review panel
established to make recommendations on state
HIV/AIDS policies and procedures, wrote Gov.
Jim Hunt a detailed letter about the ADAP di
lemma.
“A health emergency is rapidly evolving in
North Carolina,” he began. “We run the risk
of HIV virus being spread that is resistant to
current treatment. We also risk needlessly in
creasing hedth care costs, and denying sortie
poor people medicines that can let them live
more healthy and productive lives. We can pre
vent this from happening if we act now.”
ADAP patients on anti-retroviral drugs are
a major concern for health experts. The new
three-drug combination, therapy is the most
effective weapon in the fight against HIV, yet
the virus becomes resistant to the anti-retrovirals
if doses are missed for even a short time. Be
sides leaving patie.nts
stranded, it would open the
door for the spread of an
HIV strain that is impervi
ous to the most current po
tent therapy.
The financial downturn
caught everyone oflp guard.
“We got a really bad sur
prise in September,” said
David Jones, another mem
ber of the Advisory Coun
cil. “In August, we were told
that everything was fine, the
next month they an
nounced that ADAP was out of money.”
The program tumbled into the red in a short
period of time for three basic reasons — all at
tributable to triple combination drug therapy:
1) individuals who qualify for ADAP are clam
oring to get in on the promising new treatment,
causing a surge in enrollment; 2) anti-retrovirals
are so expensive that the skyrocketing number
of prescriptions has sent costs through the roof;
See ADAP on page 4
I